Terms Used to Describe Directives

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+ +

This document describes the terms that are used to describe + each Apache configuration + directive.

Description
Syntax
Default
Context
Override
Status
Module
Compatibility

Description

+ +

A brief description of the purpose of the directive.

This indicates the format of the directive as it would + appear in a configuration file. This syntax is extremely + directive-specific, and is described in detail in the + directive's definition. Generally, the directive name is + followed by a series of one or more space-separated arguments. + If an argument contains a space, the argument must be enclosed + in double quotes. Optional arguments are enclosed in square + brackets. Where an argument can take on more than one possible + value, the possible values are separated by vertical bars "|". + Literal text is presented in the default font, while + argument-types for which substitution is necessary are + emphasized. Directives which can take a variable + number of arguments will end in "..." indicating that the last + argument is repeated.

+ +

Directives use a great number of different argument types. A + few common ones are defined below.

+ +

URL: A complete Uniform Resource Locator including a scheme, + hostname, and optional pathname as in + http://www.example.com/path/to/file.html
URL-path: The part of a url which follows the scheme and + hostname as in /path/to/file.html. The + url-path represents a web-view of a resource, as + opposed to a file-system view.
file-path: The path to a file in the local file-system beginning + with the root directory as in + /usr/local/apache/htdocs/path/to/file.html. + Unless otherwise specified, a file-path which does + not begin with a slash will be treated as relative to the ServerRoot.
directory-path: The path to a directory in the local file-system + beginning with the root directory as in + /usr/local/apache/htdocs/path/to/.
filename: The name of a file with no accompanying path information + as in file.html.
regex: A Perl-compatible regular + expression. The directive definition will specify what the + regex is matching against.
extension: In general, this is the part of the filename + which follows the last dot. However, Apache recognizes + multiple filename extensions, so if a filename + contains more than one dot, each dot-separated part of the + filename following the first dot is an extension. + For example, the filename file.html.en + contains two extensions: .html and + .en. For Apache directives, you may specify + extensions with or without the leading dot. In + addition, extensions are not case sensitive.
MIME-type: A method of describing the format of a file which + consists of a major format type and a minor format type, + separated by a slash as in text/html.
env-variable: The name of an environment + variable defined in the Apache configuration process. + Note this is not necessarily the same as an operating system + environment variable. See the environment variable documentation for + more details.

Default

+ +

If the directive has a default value (i.e., if you + omit it from your configuration entirely, the Apache Web server + will behave as though you set it to a particular value), it is + described here. If there is no default value, this section + should say "None". Note that the default listed here + is not necessarily the same as the value the directive takes in + the default httpd.conf distributed with the server.

Context

+ +

This indicates where in the server's configuration files the + directive is legal. It's a comma-separated list of one or more + of the following values:

+ +

server config: This means that the directive may be used in the server + configuration files (e.g., httpd.conf), but + not within any + <VirtualHost> + or <Directory> + containers. It is not allowed in .htaccess files + at all.
virtual host: This context means that the directive may appear inside + <VirtualHost> + containers in the server + configuration files.
directory: A directive marked as being valid in this context may be + used inside <Directory>, <Location>, <Files>, <If>, and <Proxy> containers + in the server configuration files, subject to the restrictions + outlined in Configuration + Sections.
.htaccess: If a directive is valid in this context, it means that it + can appear inside per-directory + .htaccess files. It may not be processed, though + depending upon the overrides currently active.

+ +

The directive is only allowed within the designated + context; if you try to use it elsewhere, you'll get a + configuration error that will either prevent the server from + handling requests in that context correctly, or will keep the + server from operating at all -- i.e., the server won't + even start.

+ +

The valid locations for the directive are actually the + result of a Boolean OR of all of the listed contexts. In other + words, a directive that is marked as being valid in + "server config, .htaccess" can be used in the + httpd.conf file and in .htaccess + files, but not within any <Directory> or + <VirtualHost> + containers.

Override

+ +

This directive attribute indicates which configuration + override must be active in order for the directive to be + processed when it appears in a .htaccess file. If + the directive's context + doesn't permit it to appear in .htaccess files, + then no context will be listed.

+ +

Overrides are activated by the AllowOverride directive, and apply + to a particular scope (such as a directory) and all + descendants, unless further modified by other + AllowOverride directives at + lower levels. The documentation for that directive also lists the + possible override names available.

Status

+ +

This indicates how tightly bound into the Apache Web server + the directive is; in other words, you may need to recompile the + server with an enhanced set of modules in order to gain access + to the directive and its functionality. Possible values for + this attribute are:

+ +

Core: If a directive is listed as having "Core" status, that + means it is part of the innermost portions of the Apache Web + server, and is always available.
MPM: A directive labeled as having "MPM" status is provided by + a Multi-Processing Module. This + type of directive will be available if and only if you are + using one of the MPMs listed on the Module line of the directive + definition.
Base: A directive labeled as having "Base" status is supported + by one of the standard Apache modules which is compiled into + the server by default, and is therefore normally available + unless you've taken steps to remove the module from your + configuration.
Extension: A directive with "Extension" status is provided by one of + the modules included with the Apache server kit, but the + module isn't normally compiled into the server. To enable the + directive and its functionality, you will need to change the + server build configuration files and re-compile Apache.
Experimental: "Experimental" status indicates that the directive is + available as part of the Apache kit, but you're on your own + if you try to use it. The directive is being documented for + completeness, and is not necessarily supported. The module + which provides the directive may or may not be compiled in by + default; check the top of the page which describes the + directive and its module to see if it remarks on the + availability.

Module

+ +

This quite simply lists the name of the source module which + defines the directive.

Compatibility

+ +

If the directive wasn't part of the original Apache version + 2 distribution, the version in which it was introduced should + be listed here. In addition, if the directive is available + only on certain platforms, it will be noted here.